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On ALLOTSEGO.COM: What the SUNY Oneonta and Eco-Yotta MOU Says VISIT www.ALLOTSEGO.com, OTSEGO COUNTY’S NEWSPAPER/ONLINE Volume 217, No. 48
Cooperstown, New York, Thursday, December 4, 2025
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Hartwick Supervisor-elect on Civility, Budget By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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HARTWICK ast month, Cody Moore won her race for Town of Hartwick town supervisor with 57 percent of the vote. Running on the Hartwick United and Republican lines, she defeated the sitting town clerk, Andrea Vazquez, who ran as a Conservative. Moore, a former Cooperstown school board member and the owner of Cooperstown Equestrian Park, ran as part of the Hartwick United slate aiming in part to “restore trust in our town government” and foster “a more respectful and productive town,” as one Otsego County GOP mailer read. The slate also promised to protect “taxpayers by spending responsibly.”
Fellow slate members JoAnn Gardner and Caren Kelsey also won seats on the town board, a sweep. In an interview with AllOtsego, Moore attributed the victory to the people of Hartwick desiring “stability and honesty and calmness,” something she felt the slate demonstrated throughout the campaign. The Town of Hartwick has drawn attention from around Otsego County in recent years for frequent arguing amongst board members, this past January leading to a call to the Sheriff’s Office. Weighty accusations and calls for members to resign have flown back and forth. Though Moore and Gardner also ran as Republicans, the slate’s victory was recognized even by the chair of Continued on page 11
Cherry Valley Fights to Keep Health Center Operational By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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Public Education Partners
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COOPERSTOWN—From left, Dr. Bertine McKenna, board member of the Rotary Club of Cooperstown, Lauren Glynn, president of the Rotary Club of Cooperstown, and Staci Thompson, MHA, FACMPE, president and chief executive officer of Bassett Healthcare Network, celebrate their partnership to help community members access accurate health information from trusted local doctors. To learn more, see page 7. INSIDE ► cherry valley holiday weekend, page 2 ► CSO preps for pops concert, page 3 ► columns from zvirzdin and derosa, page 4 ► there’s hope for the environment, page 5 ► angel tree deadline is friday, page 6 ► TWEED ANNOUNCES ASSEMBLY RUN, page 7 ► ‘PROMISE FOR PARKIE’ KICKS OFF, page 8 ► WHAT TO DO? page 12 Follow Breaking News On
CHERRY VALLEY midst ongoing financial woes for the Cherry Valley Community Health Center, the New York State Comptroller’s office released a report critical of the Town of Cherry Valley’s budgeting. Town Supervisor Thomas Garretson disputed the results at a recent town board meeting, minutes show. Officials say they are working to get the institution, founded in 1978, out of the squeeze through a combination of fundraising, grantwriting, increased revenues and cutting certain costs. The health center is owned and operated by the Town of Cherry Valley. Medical staff are leased from Bassett Healthcare Network. Taxpayers, through the town, cover deficits in the center’s budget. Patients do not need to live in Cherry Valley. Currently, neigh-
boring municipalities do not contribute to the center’s budget. The November 7 report from the comptroller’s office was a general budget review. Though officials did not identify issues with unrelated portions of the budget, the report says the office “determined that the Town’s preliminary budget significantly underbudgeted the appropriations for the Cherry Valley Community Health Center,” adding that “even if Town officials had included more realistic budget appropriations, the Board would still need to include additional revenues or financing sources in its budget accordingly.” The report said the center’s “dedicated patients included 667 Town residents and 824 non-Town residents” at the start of 2025. The report says the town board’s “unrealistically low” expenditure estimates for the center—around Continued on page 2
NY State Industries for the Disabled Honors Worden By ERIC SANTOMAURO-STENZEL
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ALBANY n Oneonta woman, Heather Worden, was recently honored by New York State Industries for the Disabled for “Outstanding Performance” at the organization’s annual meeting in October. NYSID celebrated “those with disabilities in New York State who are performing outstanding work and excelling in the workplace, in addition to organizations that support employment opportunities for these individuals” according to a press release. The group also celebrated its 50th anniversary.” Worden, a production worker at The Arc Otsego, was “recently promoted working on Photo courtesy NYSID NYSID products, where she delivers high Arc Otsego production worker Heather Worden received NYSID’s “Outstanding Performance value to the process and earns competitive Award” at the organization’s Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony in October. Worden has been integrated wages,” the release read. a member of Arc Otsego’s Creekside Industry team since 2008.
THE FREEMAN’S JOURNAL & HOMETOWN ONEONTA, OTSEGO COUNTY’S AWARD-WINNING WEEKLIES 2010 WINNERS OF The Otsego County Chamber/KEY BANK SMALL BUSINESS AWARD